Melanie Schroeder remembers what it was like to be bullied as a child growing up in Wisconsin. “I had a learning disability, dyslexia,” said Schroeder. “I was bullied all through school.”

Schroeder, now a special education teacher at the Young Women’s Leadership School in Astoria, Queens, said that experience has made her sensitive to the problem of bullying and prompted her to seek out information and resources.

Schroeder was one of more than 100 teachers, guidance counselors and others who participated in the UFT’s Be BRAVE Against Bullying Conference on Oct. 28 at union headquarters. The theme of the conference was “Peace Begins with You.” It was the second BRAVE conference since the union launched its anti-bullying campaign three years ago.

Adhim DeVeaux, the UFT’s BRAVE coordinator, said this year’s conference was intended to inspire self-reflection, in particular about how adults can model peaceful behavior.

BRAVE — which stands for Building Respect, Acceptance and Voice through Education — is about more than just bullying, he explained. “It’s also about discrimination and harassment, and bullying is one aspect of harassment,” DeVeaux said.

Diane Neal, an actress best known for her role on “Law & Order: Special Victims Unit,” was the keynote speaker. She filled in for human rights activist Kerry Kennedy, who was unable to attend.

Neal, who serves on the Young Leaders board at the Robert F. Kennedy Center for Human Rights, recalled the experience of being bullied when she was growing up in Colorado. She stressed the importance of grown-ups modeling behavior for students.

“We all have our pet peeves, our little peccadillos, things we don’t like about others,” Neal said. “But kids really pick up on that. If they don’t have good people at home, we can be good people in the classroom, on the screen, in the streets.”

The conference workshops and vendors’ fair provided participants with strategies to manage bullying, wherever it occurs.

Loi An Le, an ESL teacher at PS 94 in Brooklyn, said she learned about the importance of identifying one’s own personal biases as a precursor to dealing effectively with bullying.

“Everyone interprets things differently,” Le said. “How you see things is going to affect how you deal with it. You have to understand where you’re coming from first.”

Robert DeSena, a former teacher at John Dewey HS in Brooklyn, presented a workshop based on his experience working with high school gangs through the Council for Unity, an organization he founded in 1975.

“We wear a mask every day,” he said. “Men are not allowed to show emotion and sensitivity. Gang culture denies them an opportunity to be human.”

DeSena’s approach uses stories and myths to help break down barriers between groups of students who are warring against one another by getting them to a place where they can safely reveal the humanity and vulnerability they all share.

For Lainie Knapp, an English teacher at DeWitt Clinton HS in the Bronx, DeSena’s workshop resonated deeply.

“I took copious notes on everything he said,” said Knapp, who hopes to bring the program to her school. “The whole idea of facing fears and feeling safe to talk about their lives could benefit every child. Literature is a wonderful way to do that.”

In addition to its annual conference, the UFT’s Be BRAVE Against Bullying campaign helps students and educators through workshops, website resources and its anti-bullying student hotline.

“The more educated we are about bullying, the better we are at diagnosing the problem and confronting it,” said Jeff Povalitis, the UFT’s director of safety and health.